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Zurich at a glance
Zurich ist Switzerland's largest city, with more than 390,000 inhabitants. Although it is not the political centre of Switzerland, it is the economic centre. More than 9% of jobs in Switzerland are located in Zurich.
Over the past ten years, the city's population has grown by more than 20,000 people. Most of the newcomers come from abroad. The proportion of foreigners in the population currently totals 31%. Tourism plays a big role in the city on the Limmat River. More than 2.6 million onvernight stays were registered in 2011.
Below are the most important key figures on Zurich. For more information on the various topics, see the list on the left (only available in German). Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Facts & Figures
Resident population
| Resident population | |
|---|---|
| Resident population (Q4 2011) | 390,082 |
| Population change Q4 2010 - Q4 2011 | +4,614 |
| Proportion of foreign nationals | 31.0% |
| Most frequent foreign nationality | Germany |
| Age groups (in %) | |
| Under-20-year-olds | 15.9% |
| 20-64-year-olds | 68.3% |
| Over-64-year-olds | 15.8% |
Construction & Housing
| Construction & Housing | |
|---|---|
| 2009 newly built dwellings | 1,378 |
| Number of buildings (end 2009) | 53,899 |
| Number of dwellings (end 2009) | 207,581 |
| Proportion of dwellings with four rooms or more | 29.9% |
| Proportion of dwellings owned by cooperatives and the City of Zurich | 24.2% |
Economy
| Economy | |
|---|---|
| Number of employees (4th quarter 2009) | 367'300 |
| Unemployment rate (2012/2) | 3.6% |
| Proportion of employees in the secondary sector (industry, trade) | 8.5% |
| Proportion of employees in the tertiary sector (services) | 91.5% |
| Average annual inflation in 2009 | 0.0% |
| Zurich index of housing prices 2010-2011 | +1.7% |
| Number of hotel overnight stays (2009) | 2.63 Mio. |
| Proportion of foreign visitors | 78.6% |
Did you know?
| Did you know? | |
|---|---|
| Total area, including waterbodies | 91.9 km2 |
| Proportions of woodland | 23.5% |
| Highest point | Kulm Üetliberg (871 m above see level) |
| Lowest point | Bank of the Limmat (392 m above see level) |
| Number of fountains | 1224 |
| Length of tram lines (excluding Glattpark line to the airport) | 113.4 km |
Map of Zurich
Essential Zurich 2011
All important data on Zurich can be found in Pocket Statistics "Essential Zurich", which you can download free of charge here:


